Sermon archive (Page 13)

See below for sermons delivered at RUCC. If you’d like to see videos please return to the home page and scroll down, or visit us at youtube.com/RedlandsUCC.

“Locked”

John 20:19-22 – Ben Bohren – “Back in the day,” youth groups used to hold “lock-ins” for overnight events which meant once you got there you could not leave until the event ended. In recent days, we certainly know about “lock-downs” because COVID19 forced us all into pretty severe quarantine. After the Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples kept “locking the doors” whenever they met. Clearly from our John 20…

“Down, but Not Out”

Matthew 25: 35 – 40 – Phill Courtney, a regular attendee of the RUCC’s “Seekers” class since 2011, will deliver the message this Sunday. During the pandemic, Phill grew a beard. One day, bearded Phill, decided to stand at the Alabama freeway offramp, and hold a sign that read, “Down, but not out. Please help.” Phill, an advocate for the homeless, will…

“Stormy Seas”

Mark 4: 35 – 41 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – After returning from a stormy adventure on a houseboat on Lake Mohave, I find myself in awe of this Sunday’s scripture passage. The disciples are terrified. On the Sea of Galilee, the waves are crashing, the wind is whipping, and the disciples are bailing water out of their little fishing boat. The…

“Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”

2 Timothy 4:7 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – On the Fourth of July, we generally celebrate our Founding Fathers: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, to name a few. This Fourth of July, however, I invite us to honor those from the margins who are not generally associated with this holiday, but who played major roles in helping…

My Soul’s Journey

Mark 12: 30 – 31, 1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 7 – Helga Vroom, one of RUCC’s eldest members, will give the message this Sunday. Helga will reflect on her soul’s journey as she journeyed from Nazi Germany to the United States. Full of love, passion, and zest, Helga will share poetry from her recent book of poems, Poetic Dwellings. Following the worship…

“It’s more than Racism: The Caste System in America”

Galatians 3: 28 – Andrea Morics, Kathie Blakley, Ruth Jordan, Heather Abushanab, Sue Hammond – At the end of April, members of the congregation embarked upon a 6-week discussion of the recent bestseller Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. This deeply significant book offers a devastatingly thorough accounting of the caste system in America which began with slavery, was extended with…

“And”

Acts 2: 5 – 18 Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – It is still the season of Pentecost. Pentecost affirms diversity and multiplicity. Over and over again, our scripture passage from Acts uses the conjunction “and.” Our God is an And God. God functions with the conjunction “and.” On this Pride Sunday, we will specifically celebrate the ways in which the Pentecost And is made manifest…

“Liberating Love”

John 13: 34 – 35 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.” The Hebrew scriptures, however, gave us the commandment “to love one another” one thousand years before Jesus commanded us to do so. So, what is new about Jesus’ commandment “to love one another?” How…

“That’s the Spirit!”

Ezekiel 37: 1 – 14 – Jill A. Kirchner-Rose, MDIV, DMIN – What an extraordinary celebration we shared in last Sunday! What a joy to behold your presence in our sacred space, especially after being apart 440 days! A huge thank you to all who helped to create an unforgettable reunion. Tears of gratitude flowed throughout the service as glorious music blessed…